#Utahisrad: The Cool Kids’ Guide to Salt Lake City

You get it right? The world is smaller than it used to be. Plentiful flights and the gig economy let us roam, explore and connect with each other in totally new ways. Work is where your laptop is and home is where you have community and friends. (Sometimes peeps you may have only met on social media.) So, Salt Lake City, why not? Now here you are, waiting for a Lyft at the airport thinking, what next? Well, OK, first things first. You’ve probably heard two things about Utah’s capital city: Mormons and skiing. Yeah, we’ve got both. But that cliché combo (religious types + freewheeling ski culture) has added up to make a hip city at the base of some pretty awesome mountains.

And Utah’s urban center is a lively, progressive place — a place of contradictions and surprises. Its history (just Google it already) commingles with a current tech boom and a growing contingent of newcomers who see the landscape through new eyes. There’s a lot of people here who found this place as an alternative to San Fran, NYC, Chicago, Miami and LA and revel in the lower cost of living, scaled-down size and mountain lifestyle. They’re making, creating, doing bars and breweries; restaurants and crafted cocktails; live music and art; urban farms, third-wave coffee, slow food and vegan sammies.

You picked a good time to visit. To get you started, we’ve got a four-day, mix-and-match plan of beer, booze, bands, mountain time, food, fun and weird Utah stuff, including an optional excursion to a pretty wild place on the fourth day. You’ll see, #utahisrad.

Jeremy Pugh is a writer living in Salt Lake City who, in one way or another, has been writing about culture, history, and the outdoors in Salt Lake City for more than a decade. Pugh is the author of the book 100 Things to Do in SLC Before You Die.

Day 1
2 Miles

BITES, BOOKS AND BIKES

Downtown Farmers Market

SLC Library

GREENbike SLC pub crawl

SLC’s social scene starts at the Downtown Farmers Market where local growers set up shop next to crafty artisans and everybody seems to have a dog. Start here and then make your way across town to the SLC Library (what?). Yeah. the library. It’s a very cool building and its roof offers a killer view of the surrounding city. Ride the glass elevator! Grab a GREENbike from the library bike share station and roll out (not on the sidewalk please, use the bike lanes) for a station-to-station bar crawl around the city.

Foodie pick: HSL is a fern-bar-fancy joint (sure, that’s a thing) where you’ll find a menu with General Tso’s Cauliflower and killer cocktails.

Nightlife pick: The Rest is a speakeasy bar and restaurant hidden below another bar called Bodega. Ask nicely to “go downstairs” or call ahead for a reservation.

Pro-tip: Café D’Bolla, near the SLC Library, has crazy crafted Japanese siphon coffee.

DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET

Saturday mornings in the summer (an indoor winter market runs during winter) you’ll find a great selection of artists and farmers mingling with the local crowd (and their dogs) in Downtown SLC’s Pioneer Park. Be sure to try the “Barely Buzzed” cheddar from Beehive Cheese Company.

At the Salt Lake Library, ride the glass elevator inside the main atrium and visit the rooftop gardens with their panoramic views of the city and gothic city hall to the west. Walk down the grand staircase into the square and play in the fountain.

Salt Lake’s Granary District side of Salt Lake was once just industrial warehouses and grain storage silos (hence the name). These days it’s known for breweries, distilleries and a growing selection of bars, restaurants and music clubs in what was once the fringe of the city. It’s a loosely defined area that sort of starts at 700 South and State Street. Explore the map on your phone from a bench in Fisher’s tasting room and then venture south for a tour and tasting at Dented Brick Distillery. Check and see who is playing at Kilby and just go. Tickets are cheap and this all-ages venue is a must stop for indie bands passing through from Denver to LA.

Foodie pick: Meditrina is an evening of small plates served alongside a great (and reasonably priced) wine list.

Nightlife: Water Witch (located next door) is a current king of Salt Lake’s cocktail scene.

Pro-tip: Fisher Brewing Company hosts a rotating line up of SLC’s best food trucks.

BEER TASTING AT FISHER BREWING COMPANY

A new spot on the SLC craft brew scene, nevertheless has a history in Utah dating back to 1884. A. Fisher Brewing Co. closed during Prohibition, opened again in 1934 and eventually folded in the late 1950s. It was revived in 2017 by Mr. Fisher’s great-great-grandson.

Distilling has always been a thing in Utah. The early Mormon settlers famously (or infamously) sold a whiskey called Valley Tan to passing wagon companies. Dented Brick, however, specializes in clear spirits like Rum, Vodka and Gin while nearby Sugar House rocks grain-to-glass rye, bourbon and malt whisky. For even more variety, head west for a sampling of Brigham Rum at Distillery 36 or the revival liquors of Waterpocket Fold.

A hot tour stop for indie bands, this all-ages club in the industrial part of town is a trip. You walk back into a dark alley to find a lively scene of folks hanging out waiting for the show. The stage is teeny, tickets are cheap and there isn’t a bad spot in the house. Watch Salt of Sound to learn more about Salt Lake's music scene.

Utah’s history has generated some strange artistic responses, like Gilgal Sculpture Garden, a collection of unique sculptures including a giant sphinx with the head of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith. The Natural History Museum of Utah is a walk through the geology, flora and fauna of Utah. Also, dinosaurs. After the museum visit Red Butte Garden, which during the summer is home to a killer outside concert series on a grassy lawn where you’ll enjoy the sunset and a starry sky while bands like Wilco, Decemberists and Portugal. The man rock the night. Bonus: Red Butte lets you bring in coolers with, umm, whatever you want man.

Foodie pick: Rye is the yummy restaurant next door to Urban Lounge, one of Salt Lake’s killer music venues.

Nightlife: Check out Urban Lounge or head across the street to Dick N’ Dixie's, a solid neighborhood bar. Around the block, you’ll find Twilight Lounge, a dive bar (cash only) with experimental jazz nights and a free jukebox.

Pro-tip: Line up early for Red Butte Garden shows, bring coolers and chairs and have fun.

GILGAL SCULPTURE GARDEN

Gilgal Sculpture Garden was the backyard of Thomas Battersby Child Jr., a businessman and mason who died in 1963. His folk-art sculptures dot a quiet park nestled in a Salt Lake neighborhood. The themes are Biblical and LDS centric. See: The giant sphinx with the face of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith.

A literal walk through the eons, the Natural History Museum of Utah’s main path, will take you from the age of dinosaurs all the way to the sky above. Start either at the bottom (again, giant dinosaurs) or the top for a fascinating journey through the state’s natural history.

RED BUTTE GARDEN

Sprawling grounds in the foothills of Salt Lake feature carefully tended displays of native flora along with perfect places to picnic in the shade. The garden’s amphitheater offers a beloved summer concert series. Be sure to check the lineup for an unforgettable night under the stars.

Salt Lake City is super rad and all but there’s lots more to explore farther afield. Here we have a selection of day trips. You won’t be able to do any more than one of these in one day but they represent some of the best scenery, coolest art and strangest places that are within a there-and-back distance with enough time for dinner and drinks at night. Get up early, pack up some beers and yummy lunch (Tony Caputo's Market & Deli makes dope sandwiches) and head out for adventure. Do bring water and fill up on gas. These places are super remote and far beyond the comforts of an LTE signal.

Foodie pick: Clean up after your adventure and sit down to Copper Onion’s excellent menu, wine list and cocktails.

Nightlife: It is time to go for a show at The State Room, the best music venue in Utah. The mid-size hall is utterly civilized. For a nightcap, find yourself at Purgatory a great bar with and tasty bar bites.

Pro-tip: Include Golden Spike National Historic Site in any visit to the western desert.

SPIRAL JETTY OR SUN TUNNELS

The desert west of Salt Lake City is an arid, unfriendly place. You should go. The Spiral Jetty, a famous installation by earth artist Robert Smithson is on the north shore of the Great Salt Lake. Farther into the desert find Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels, which align with celestial events.

FIFTH WATER HOT SPRINGS

Hike 2.5 miles to a cascading set of turquoise hot pools in the Diamond Fork of Spanish Fork Canyon, winter, spring, summer or fall. Note: some visitors enjoy a clothing-optional experience at the hot springs, but the word is this illegal. Take a bathing suit.

ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PARK

Antelope Island is a craggy adventure and birding destination in the Great Salt Lake that is home to 36 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails meandering among free-roaming bison and antelope herds who keep watch over alluvial plains and Precambrian rocks. The view from the island’s western side is otherworldly.

ROUTE MAP

EXPLORE MORE

Some other experiences to try close to your journey.

REFUGEE'S SPICE KITCHEN INCUBATOR

The International Rescue Committee Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County launched Spice Kitchen incubator in 2013 after members of the local refugee community requested support to start a business — now those business dreams are part of the capital city's culinary landscape.

No coffee shop in Salt Lake City ever feels wrong: "Every time I step into The Rose, Three Pines, La Barba or Blue Copper, I know exactly what experience I will get." Follow author and former barista Austin Wright as he explores the emergent coffee scene along the path of some of its most dedicated baristas.

Garage On Beck is just on the fringe of downtown, yet stretch your neck and you can almost see the state Capitol Building. At first glance, one is given the impression of a dingy biker bar. But step inside for live music and quintessential — yet made from scratch — bar food and experience Salt Lake's urban vibe.

Utah sports fans are known for their passion and loyalty to their teams. No other team in the state has fans that exemplify such dedication than the fans of NBA's Utah Jazz. Vivint Smart Home Arena, the raucous home of the Utah Jazz, is located in downtown Salt Lake City within the Free Fare Zone of TRAX light rail or a couple of blocks' walking distance from Temple Square.

With more than a dozen licensed distilleries now operating in Utah, there’s something for every palate, from artisan botanical liqueurs to aged American malt whisky. Here are a handful of award-winning spots on the rise.

Located near Salt Palace Convention Center, adjacent to the Salt Lake Visitor’s center UMOCA is a cornerstone for contemporary culture in Utah, with an ever-changing line up of cutting-edge exhibits. Check the museum’s website to see what’s current.

From the capitol, walk down into Memory Grove, a bucolic park filled with memorials of important moments in U.S. and Utah history. The footpath to the north takes you into the canyon itself to enjoy the quiet of the foothills just minutes away from the city’s urban center.

UTAH STATE CAPITOL

Enjoy the views and statuary on the grounds (including Clyde Ross Morgan’s stirring Vietnam memorial) and then venture into the seat of Utah’s government, an excellent example of the neoclassical revival style, patterned after the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

LDS TEMPLE SQUARE

Take a guided or explore the beautiful grounds on your own. Highlights include the acoustically focused “pin drop” tour of the old tabernacle, Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue in the North Visitors’ Center and the tour of the massive underground LDS Conference Center plus its rooftop gardens.